The Florida Department of Health in Marion County provides hepatitis immunizations for people who may be at high risk for the disease, and for those who have been identified as contacts to existing cases.
Health care professionals in the Communicable Diseases department monitor case reporting and perform follow-up with those who have come in contact with the disease.
The Department performs hepatitis testing and administers hepatitis B vaccines to adults who are at increased risk.
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease that results from infection with the hepatitis A virus (HAV). It can range in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a severe illness lasting several months. Hepatitis A is usually spread when a person ingests fecal matter from contact with objects, food, or drinks contaminated by feces (stool) of an infected person.
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Hepatitis B is transmitted when blood, semen or other bodily fluids from an infected person enters the body of someone who is not infected. This can happen through sexual contact, sharing needles, syringes, or other drug-injection equipment; or from mother to baby at birth. For some people, hepatitis B is an acute, or short-term, illness, but for others, it can become a long-term chronic infection. Risk for chronic infection is related to age at infection: approximately 90 percent of infected infants become chronically infected, compared with two to six percent of adults. Chronic hepatitis B can lead to serious health issues, including cirrhosis or liver cancer.
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) that typically produces no symptoms. Over the years, hepatitis C can lead to severe liver disease, including cirrhosis and liver cancer. Most of those infected are unaware that they have the disease. HCV is one of the most common chronic blood-borne infections in the United States, with an estimated 3.5 million Americans being infected. The virus is transmitted via blood, most commonly by injection drug use, and before 1992, by blood transfusion. No vaccine is available; however, new medicines are available that can effectively treat hepatitis C.
Non-professional tattooing is a major concern, especially in select populations such as those who have been incarcerated. Getting tested for hepatitis is important if you have ever received a tattoo. Please visit the Florida Department of Health’s Tattoo webpage for more information.